The kind of gripping tool, intended for timber handling and carried by a crane jib, that is available on the market to-day, is manufactured from a number of sheet-metal components which are welded together by means of conventional manufacturing methods. Gripping tools of this kind are rather complicated in structure and for this reason expensive to manufacture, since a large number of sheet-metal components must be manufactured and joined by welding, which is very time-consuming.
One method of manufacturing gripping tools, which provides considerable advantages over prior-art methods, is to manufacture the tool through casting. This method makes it possible to distribute the steel material over the various parts of the gripping tool in a manner that is more advantageous with regard to strength. One consequence is lower weight while at the same time bearing lugs or hubs and other details may be formed in the casting operation proper without entailing additional costs. An added advantage is that is becomes possible to utilize a low cost system of exchanging the various units incorporated in the tool.